Cons

Bottom Line

The RemoteLock OpenEdge RG Deadbolt is a Wi-Fi smart lock that you can control from anywhere and integrates with several vacation rental platforms.

July 25, 2019

When we reviewed the LockState LS-500I back in 2014, it was the first Wi-Fi-enabled smart lock we'd seen and earned our Editors' Choice for its easy installation and ability to be controlled from anywhere. Since then, LockState has changed its name to RemoteLock and smart locks have become a staple of the connected home. With the OpenEdge RG Deadbolt ($249), RemoteLock again offers a Wi-Fi-enabled lock that is easy to install. It integrates with multiple vacation rental platforms and offers loose integration with August and Ring doorbell devices, but it lacks the third-party support and multi-protocol capabilities that you get with our Editors' Choice, the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect.

Design and Features

The OpenEdge RG is a complete lock assembly that includes a keypad escutcheon, an interior escutcheon, a latch assembly, two keys, and mounting hardware with illustrated installation instructions. It fits doors that are 1-3/8 inches to 2 inches in thickness with a standard 2-1/8 lockset hole and a 1-inch latch hole. If your door does not have pre-drilled holes, you can use the included template and detailed instructions to drill your own.

The keypad component, which goes on the outside of the door, measures 5.2 by 3.2 by 1.5 inches (HWD) and is designed for indoor use only. However, you can purchase an outdoor weather cover for an additional $35. The keypad comes in a Polished Brass, Rubbed Bronze, or Satin Nickel finish and has ten round rubberized backlit number buttons (0-9) and a LockState button that is used for entering codes, locking the lock, and programming the lock. It also has a keyed cylinder that lets you use it as a traditional keyed lock.

The interior escutcheon measures 7.5 by 2.8 by 2.7 inches and has a thumbscrew knob for manually locking and unlocking. Behind a removable cover is a compartment for four AA batteries (not included) and a reset button. According to RemoteLock, the four batteries will last up to one year when the lock's Heartbeats interval is set to one hour (default).

Here's how it works: The lock's Wi-Fi is turned off by default to conserve battery life and uses Heartbeats that turn on Wi-Fi briefly to connect to the internet to update mobile lock and unlock requests and relay the lock's status to your mobile app or web console. If you set Heartbeat intervals to five minutes, battery life expectancy will go down to one month. You can set the lock's Wi-Fi to Always On, but be prepared to blow through four AA batteries every couple of weeks depending on usage. This is why most smart locks use a bridge and/or Bluetooth, Z-Wave, or Zigbee protocols as they don't use much battery power. However, you typically need a Wi-Fi-enabled hub to control these types of locks remotely.

The lock can be controlled using a mobile app (for Android and iOS) or from a PC with a web console. The mobile app lets you lock and unlock doors and view lock activities such as when a lock was engaged and by whom, and it will also tell you if the lock was opened or closed manually using the thumbscrew knob and when new users were added. You can add access (regular) users and guest users and add new locks to your account using the mobile app, but most lock settings can only be accessed using the web console.

The console uses a colorful dashboard screen that tells you the lock's battery status and has a graph showing lock, unlock, and access denied events. Here you can also see if the lock has experienced any mechanical issues, view a list of users, and view events. Tap the Access tab at the top of the screen to add users, create access schedules for each user, and create schedule exceptions for holidays. The Integrations tab takes you to a screen where you can connect to one of the supported vacation rental sites and to integrate with August and Ring devices. For example, you can access the LockState app directly from the Ring app to lock or unlock the OpenEdge when you see who is out there, but it won't trigger and can't be triggered by these devices. Other web functions include administration logs, notifications settings, automated guest and access user emails with instructions and pin codes, and settings for connecting to a third-party ACS (Access Control System) controller.

The lock requires an EdgeState Cloud subscription. The $3 per month Basic plan covers one lock and lets you grant access to up to 25 access users and up to 75 guest users (guest access expires after 90 days). You get a 60-day activity history and can add more locks for an additional monthly charge of $3 per lock. The Premium plan costs $6 per month and gives you up to 50 access users and 150 guest users, and you get a 90-day history. Additional locks cost $6 each per month. The Business plan is $9 per month (additional locks cost $9 per month each) and supports up to 100 access users and 300 guest users, and you get a 180-day history. The Enterprise plan costs $12 per month and gives you unlimited access and guest users and a full year of history. Additional locks cost $12 per month each.

The OpenEdge doesn't support Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands, nor does it support Apple HomeKit or IFTTT applets like the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect. However, it does work with the Vera home control platform and an impressive number of vacation rental platforms including Airbnb, HomeAway, Escapia, Guesty, and VacationRentalDesk.

Installation and Performance

The OpenEdge RG lock is easy to install. I removed my old lock and installed the new latch using two of the included mounting wood screws. After making sure that the latch was retracted, I slid the keypad assembly into the hole, making sure that the tailpiece fit easily into the latch hub while passing the power cable under the latch assembly. I attached the mounting plate to the keypad assembly using the two long mounting bolts, making sure to pass the power cable through the hole in the mounting plate. Next, I connected the power cable to the interior escutcheon, slid the tailpiece into the escutcheon hub, and attached the interior escutcheon to the mounting plate using the two short bolts. I confirmed that the thumbscrew operated smoothly, installed four AA batteries (not included), and followed the instructions to set the lock's handing, which provides instructions to the lock to ensure that it correctly locks and unlocks.

To connect the lock to my Wi-Fi, I opened Wi-Fi settings on my phone and selected the RemoteLock SSID. I then selected my home WI-FI SSID from the list, entered my password, and was instantly connected. I downloaded the mobile app and created an account. At this point you have to subscribe to a plan and submit your billing information, including your address and credit card number. Next, I tapped the green plus button to add the lock to my account and tapped Scan QR Code to scan the code on the side of the box. I gave the lock a name and a location, and the installation was complete.

The lock's keypad was very responsive in testing. Each keypad press was accompanied by a lit key and a beep that was adequately loud. Lock and unlock commands using the app and the web console were quickly executed when the Heartbeats interval setting was set to Always On, and when they were supposed to when Heartbeats was set to 1 hour. User and guest access codes worked wonderfully, and the lock followed my schedules without issue. I always received an email message and a text message telling me that the lock was locked or unlocked by a specific user and at what time.

Conclusions

The RemoteLock OpenEdge RG Deadbolt is a solid choice for homeowners, business owners, and landlords that need to grant permanent and temporary access to interior doors. It's easy to manage, but many of its management features such as scheduling, setting up integrations, and configuring notifications, aren't accessible from the mobile app and can only be accessed using the web portal. The lock is easy to install and performed flawlessly in our tests, and it works with many popular vacation rental platforms. That said, it doesn't provide the same level of third-party support that you get with the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect, including HomeKit support, the ability to work with Alexa, Google, and Siri voice commands, native integration with other smart home devices, and support for IFTTT applets. As such, the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect remains our Editors' Choice for smart locks.

About the Author

As a Contributing Editor for PC Magazine, John Delaney has been testing and reviewing monitors, HDTVs, PCs, servers, and other assorted hardware and peripherals for more than 14 years. A 13-year veteran of PC Magazine's Labs (most recently as Director of Operations), John was responsible for the recruitment, training and management of the Labs technical staff, as well as evaluating and maintaining the integrity of the Labs testing machines and procedures.

Prior to joining Ziff Davis Publishing, John spent six years in retail operations for Federated Stores, Inc. before accepting a purchasing position with Morris Decision Systems, one of New York's first value-added resellers of the original IBM PC. For … See Full Bio